


Remind Me

by QuietDarkness



Series: Simplicity and Complexity (Harrisco) [27]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M, harrisco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 22:24:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11217471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietDarkness/pseuds/QuietDarkness
Summary: Maggie finally feels like she's found her place among the team, and in Harry and Cisco's life. But the past is never far behind, rearing its ugly head in the form of secrets and a loaded gun. An encounter with Pete proves to her that she can't outrun what she's done, but Harry surprises her with a promise for her future. Maybe there's hope for this broken girl after all...'Opposites don't just attract. They catch fire and burn the entire city down.'(Part 27)





	Remind Me

_'I can't think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection.' - Freud_

* * *

“Dude, give it back!” Cisco blurted loudly, jumping up and down and trying to get his phone away from the much faster Barry. “That's so cheating, you jackass!” He growled out, nudging the speedster in the ribs and making him drop the phone. It was Harry who caught it, appearing seemingly out of nowhere and catching the device with one hand, the other balancing a coffee in the air over both shorter men. 

“Allen?” Harry questioned, turning the phone in his hand and then holding it out to Cisco who took it, sticking his tongue out at Barry. 

“Aw, come on.” Barry nearly whined, but grinned. “You do know what he's been doing with that thing, right?”

“No!” Cisco reached forward and planted his hand over Barry's mouth. “Not another word!” But Barry sped behind Harry, hiding from Cisco's meager attempts to silence him.

“He's editing pictures of all of us, to see what we'd look like as the opposite sex.” Barry was grinning devilishly. And Harry just raised a brow. “He did two of you, Harry.” Allen added and Harry reached up and pulled his glasses off, narrowing his gaze at Cisco without a word.

“It's an app I found that can do everything from age progression to sex reversal.” Cisco grinned, then swallowed a little. “I... got bored?” Cisco attempted to appease, but when he saw Harry's signature glare, he cleared his throat and stepped back. “I'll delete them.” And he went to work, making Barry laugh and step away. 

“Hey Harry, you give any more thought to Maggie's education situation?” Allen asked, pressing a few keys before he got back onto the speed treadmill. They were doing their monthly assessment on his abilities. He began running, picking up speed gradually as Harry settled back into his chair, his fresh coffee set before him. Eventually Cisco sat down beside him, showing Harry the now empty folder all the pics were in, then set his phone down with a 'hrmph' as data began to correlate on the screens before them.

“Tell me again why I'm the one who has to decide this?” He asked, stretching his arm out comfortably behind the pouting Ramon, resting his hand on his husband's shoulder. “I'm not her father.”

“About that....” Caitlin said, stepping into the room with her tablet in hand, stylus in the other. “Seeing as Joe got you guys temporary foster status, why don't you two just... ya know... adopt her?” She tapped something on the screen, leaning her hip against the wall behind them. Harry craned his neck, turning slightly to look at her.

“You're serious.” He said after a minute, catching her twinkling gaze as she smiled softly.

“Why not? She's doing really well since she's been with you guys, and she's come a long way with learning how to control her powers in the last five months. She's really finding her place around here.” Caitlin moved then to sit beside Cisco, who was staring at the screen, his eyes roaming the information thoughtfully. Though Harry had a feeling it wasn't the data feed he was thinking about it. “Harry, she's a good kid.”

“I didn't say she wasn't.” He rumbled lightly, pulling his hand away from Cisco and crossing his arms over his chest as he attempted to ignore Caitlin's stare. Truth was, Maggie was a very good kid. Once she and Harry had found a way to get through their initial distrust and hesitation toward each other, she turned out to be a very intelligent, caring and funny young lady. She had a sarcastic streak for miles, which meant she got along great with Cisco. And even though Barry and Caitlin were the ones who were mostly helping her learn to control and use her powers, she seemed to enjoy Harry's company more, oddly enough. More often than not, he was the one she went to for advice or unanswered questions. He was the one who had in depth conversations with her about her fractured past and her progress toward a better future. It was him and Cisco who consoled her when she woke screaming at night, it was him and Cisco who shared breakfasts and dinners with her. In the moderately short amount of time they'd known each other, he had admittedly grown quite fond of the fifteen year old. Which was surprising, to say the least. 

“Then what's with the hesitation?” Barry asked when the timer went off and he hopped off the treadmill, walking over to them and looking from Cisco to Harry. “I mean, it makes sense. You guys are the closest thing she's ever had to real parents. She trusts you and I'm pretty certain she wouldn't have come so far without you. Either of you.”

Harry could feel Cisco's eyes on him, then, the chocolate hues boring holes into his brain with everything he wasn't saying. Harry glanced at him, which was a mistake. Because Cisco took that as permission to voice what he was actually thinking.

“Actually, it's... not a bad idea. If we adopt her, she could go back to school, we could make sure she gets the education she needs and this way, if something happens, she has a legal family to fall back on.” He said easily. Too easily. Harry clenched his jaws, the muscles tightening in his cheeks. Then he quietly reached forward, grabbing the coffee and pushing his chair back.

“No.” Was his answer. And to make it final, he stood up. “Don't ask again.” And he left the room. He could almost hear the collective confusion bubbling off of the three as he disappeared back into the cortex. He didn't stop walking till he was well past it, far down the hall, heading toward the breach room. He set his mug down, moving down the metal steps to the center of the mostly empty room. And he just stopped there, clenching his hands open and closed randomly as he focused on breathing. Minutes ticked by, along with his thoughts.

He couldn't adopt Maggie. 

It wasn't that he didn't care for the girl. And he was certain Jesse would be thrilled at the idea, considering she had fallen into a big sister role instantly with Maggie. He was also sure that Cisco would be a great parent. He had this way about him, a way of being real with kids that made them gravitate to him, no matter the age. He treated them with respect and humility, and could get even the most distraught child to bust out in laughter. Ramon just had that great of a heart.

It also wasn't about Maggie, not really. Caitlin had been correct when she'd said that the girl had come a long way, not just with her powers. She was nearly a different person from the pain in the ass kid who'd showed up on the doorstep of S.T.A.R. Labs demanding that the Flash help her. It was almost like she was doing everything possible now to erase that girl from existence, and create herself anew. No one could blame her for that. The life she'd come from had been hell, and the memories attached to it still gave her nightmares. Something he could definitely relate to. Every day, though, she was getting more confident, stronger, happier. She seemed to be growing far more sure of her new place in the world, and no longer questioned the good that came her way.

No, the real problem here was just Harry.

Raising Jesse alone had been terrifying. And though he wouldn't be alone with Maggie, knowing all the mistakes he'd made, all the bad choices and the terrible example of a person he believed himself to have been, he was equally as terrified at the thought of putting Maggie through the same thing. Yes, she was fifteen and had a mind and thought process all her own. He'd only be able to do so much damage, after all. But she'd already been through hell. The last thing he wanted was to add to her pain, in any way.

It was true that he was already in a mentoring role with her. But the more days that stretched on, he could no longer let himself think that it was a 'father' role, like he'd tried to do in the beginning. Because it always came down to what she'd already been through, and what having him for a father would do to her. Jesse always tried to get him to think otherwise, and there were moments where her love was so intense and final that he found himself daring to believe the great things she had to say. But then he was brought back to the years of him drowning himself in work, the selfishness that lead to him creating the metas on his Earth, the terrible mistakes that landed her in Zoom's clutches. It was a culmination of things that he had come to terms with, but would never quite forgive himself for. No matter what she said.

“I know that look.” He heard Joe's voice, and he turned to see the Detective standing with his tie half undone, his hands in his pockets, watching Harry with a calm expression. “It's the same one I made when I accidentally threw out Iris's favorite bedtime story when she was four.” He stepped down toward Harry. “Or when I yelled at Barry when he was thirteen for breaking the window on my car when it was actually the brat up the block.” He took a hand out of his pocket, motioning at Harry. “It's the look of parental shame.”

Harry raised a brow, slowly crossing his arms over his chest. It was rare that he and Joe had much in the way of heavy conversations. Sure, they talked. But it was mostly about the meta of the week or something Barry had done to annoy them both. He shrugged one shoulder, however, letting out a deep breath.

“I wasn't aware it was a common affliction.” Harry responded lightly, but the tension was there in his voice, his face. Joe smirked, slipping his hand back into his pocket.

“Oh, trust me... every good parent gets that look at least a hundred times a year, no matter how old the kids get.” Joe said, then nodded in Harry's direction. “So, what do you think you did this time?”

“What do I...” Harry repeated but then shook his head. “Nothing... recent.” Joe nodded knowingly at that.

“Thinking back on past mistakes?” 

Harry nodded, shifting on his feet slightly.

“You do realize that doesn't do much good, right?” Joe continued. Harry just kept quiet, knowing the Detective was headed somewhere with this. “When Jesse was Zoom's captive, you made mistakes. You did bad and wrong things. But for the right reasons.” He paced a little, looking over at the breach platform. “When we had you locked up, Barry was the one who convinced us to help you. What he said really... struck a cord with me because for a moment there, I really could imagine it.”

“Imagine what?” 

“What I would have done... if it had been any of my kids. The lengths I would have gone to, the mistakes I would have easily made.” Joe said, looking back at Harry. “That's the thing about being a parent. We don't make mistakes because we don't care. We make mistakes because we care more than enough. We never get to be the kind of parents we want to be. But that just makes us human. And it teaches our kids that mistakes are just... a part of life. More than that, it also teaches them how to handle those mistakes. And you've made up for yours a hundred times over.” He turned completely then, facing Harry, reaching out and gripping his shoulder companionably. “You're a good father, Harry. Whatever else you might think you are, don't doubt that.” He let his hand fall. “Jesse doesn't. And... neither does Maggie.”

Harry felt his brows instantly furrow. “She's not my...” He stopped himself, sighing and letting his arms fall. “Caitlin told you her idea, didn't she.” He stated. Joe just smiled and nodded.

“It's a good idea.” 

Harry let out a frustrated sigh. “What she needs-” But Joe interrupted him.

“What she needs,” He said, pointing an almost accusing finger at Harry, “Is the one person who was able to get through to her. She needs this team, this family.” He motioned idly around them, “And she needs to know that no matter who she was, what she did, where she came from, that the people she's closest to now will love her unconditionally.” He let his hand fall. “Like a parent would.” He took a step back. “Like you can, Harry.” And then he turned toward the steps, walking away. “Think about it. Then talk to her.” He said, stopping just in the doorway. “Because, the truth is... it isn't about you or what you think. It's just about her, and what she wants...” Joe gave Harry one more look, “A home.” And then he disappeared, leaving Harry standing once again in silence. Only far more stunned.

He stood there, staring at the doorway, for far too long. How stupid was it that it hadn't occurred to him that Maggie might actually want him and Cisco for her family? All the signs were there, practically in giant neon lights. And he could kick himself for not seeing it sooner. He was momentarily grateful to Joe and his own brand of wisdom. And he was also worried.

Because now he was seriously considering this.

Because it wasn't about him.

Any adult who put their own wants and needs above a child didn't deserve their affection. And it was pretty clear that all of them, Harry included, had Maggie's affection.

And maybe that meant far more than he'd previously counted on...

* * *

She was beginning to really love differential equations. The plug and chunk of the system seemed to work well with her brain. Plugging the answers in came as naturally as reciting her ABC's. And it didn't just end there. Harry was throwing every type of mathematics at her that he possibly could, to see where her strengths really settled. It was all over the place, really. Geometry topology, algebra, complex analysis, real analysis, math logic like Godel's Theorems and learning recursion theory, and so much more. There was nothing Harry was leaving out, it seemed. And the oddest part about it all was she didn't even mind. She was enjoying every minute of it. Even the part about it all that meant she had to spend long hours with the tall, bad-tempered scientist. 

Despite his tendency to push her hard, and sometimes lose his temper, he was an incredibly thorough and intuitive teacher. He seemed to be able to pick up on the exact ways to help her to an answer, to encourage her to find the ways herself, to keep her from getting frustrated or just give up. Never in any class with any teacher had she ever had such one on one guidance, and at first she thought that was what was making all the difference. But as time went on, she realized that it was really just Harry. Never once did he make it seem like she couldn't do it. He only really lost his temper when she used the word 'can't'. _'You tell me you can't, and I'll make you work twice as hard to prove you can.'_ He'd said during one of her lack of confidence moments. And he meant every word. He pushed her so hard that she thought she was going to scream. Until finally the answers came to her, and she realized that he'd been right all along. Right about her. 

She'd never had anyone believe in her this much.

It wasn't just Harry, either. Cisco was incredible. He was so patient with her during her lessons with her powers. She'd practically destroyed an entire room in the labs because she was having a hard time really focusing her power like they were trying to show her. When she'd accidentally struck Cisco in the shoulder, she thought for sure that was it. She thought Cisco would never trust her and Harry would hate her. But when that didn't happen, she burst into tears. After Harry healed him, which was a thing she was still trying to wrap her head around, Cisco just hugged her and said, _'Let's give it another try.'_ And Harry, well... he just nudged her and said, _'Next time aim for his head. You might just fix him.'_ The result was Cisco glaring and everyone else laughing. It was one moment on a list she'd begun to keep of all the times she finally felt safe, happy even.... and home.

Never in a million years did she ever imagine good people like this existed. 

Since her mother died, a woman she barely remembered as it was, her life had been one foster home after another. One disaster to the next. She lived her life in moments because she'd been sure at a young age that the next probably wouldn't come. After she got her powers, it only got worse. She was scared senseless that if anyone discovered what she could do, they'd lock her up and throw away the key. So she did everything she could to keep that part of herself hidden, actively seeking to stifle it. Which sometimes ended up being a terrible idea. Every now and then, her emotions would override her control and all that pent up energy would just explode from her. Which was why her most recent foster father had died. 

She tried not to feel bad about that. The guy was trying to molest her, after all. But the guilt of actually taking another life had followed her around for months. It wasn't till she actually talked to Harry about it that it began to ease up, let her breathe. _'You have every right to defend your life, your worth, yourself.'_ He'd said, _'The moment you use your gifts to hurt someone for any other reason is the moment you become the monster. And that's not who you are, Maggie.'_ The fact that he even thought that struck a cord with her, considering she'd lashed out at him. Of course, it hadn't hurt him. But she didn't know then that it couldn't. Learning to control her instincts, her emotions and her powers in combination was turning out to be far tougher than anything she'd ever done. But, as Barry pointed out once or twice, she was learning. It didn't matter how fast she picked it up, just that she did. And knowing that eventually she would have control over this very tumultuous aspect of her life was a great motivator. 

For now life was good. Hell, it was amazing. Compared to every other day of her existence, she'd never felt so free and alive. And it was strange, because it was like everything up till now hadn't even been real. Like it was all just one giant nightmare and now she was waking up from it. It was... liberating.

And yet...

There were always reminders. 

One of which was staring her and Harry and Cisco in the face. 

“So this is where you've been, huh?” Pete said, leaning up against Cisco's car in the parking lot of S.T.A.R. Labs. The moment he'd appeared seemingly out of nowhere, Harry had placed himself directly in front of her, shielding her with his body. She was peering around his side, and Cisco was standing directly next to him. Both of them had taken up a protective position, and if she didn't feel so suddenly on edge, she might have had the sense to find it endearing. How Pete had found her was beyond her, and completely disconcerting. She knew why he was here. It was more than just his fascination with her. Despite the age difference, he'd been attracted to her from the start. And at first she'd found it wonderful. It was the sort of attention she never got. And she'd thought she'd been in love with him. But the first time he hit her, she realized how stupid that had all been. It all came together for her after that, how he'd used her youth and relative innocence simply to help him sell his drugs. 

But not even that was why he was here. No... it was something else. Something she hadn't told Harry or Cisco or anyone about. And the fear that now this particular secret was about to be revealed was eating her alive. “Go away, Pete!” She yelled at him. But he didn't even flinch. He just narrowed his eyes on her. 

“Ya know, it took time to figure out what you've been up to. I mean,” he pushed himself off the car, “You've been busy. Totally erased yourself from the life, but you know me... dog with a bone and all that.” He grinned, pulling his hands out of his pockets. 

“That's far enough.” Harry grated out, she could feel the tension flowing off him in droves. 

“And what are you gonna do about it, old man?” Pete chuckled. And Harry took a step forward, only stopping when both Cisco and Maggie grabbed his arms. That made Pete laugh. 

“So that's it, huh? Found yourself a new family, Mag-pie? Never pictured you as the type to settle in with a couple of fag boys, but,” he shrugged a shoulder, “To each their own, right?”

“That's enough!” She yelled, coming more into view, though Harry put an arm across to keep her from going further. 

“It's enough when I say it's enough.” Pete said, reaching behind him as his face went cold and cruel, pulling out a gun. All three of them stiffened as he aimed it directly at them. Cisco didn't have his goggles. Well, he did, but they were in his bag and there was no way he'd be able to get to them quickly now. He clenched his hands into fists, as though he was willing himself to vibe without them. Maggie stiffened in fear, useless. Guns were something she could never warm up to. When she was thirteen, she'd seen another kid's head blown to bits and ever since then, she had an unnatural fear toward guns of any kind. So much so, she was frozen in place now because of it. It was Harry, which was no surprise, who took a step forward, completely blocking her from view and pushing Cisco slightly behind him. 

They both knew he would heal if he was shot. But that didn't mean he was invincible. Her fear for herself suddenly bubbled into fear for Harry. And she could see her fear mirrored in Cisco's face. But Harry put his hands out, showing them empty. And he spoke very calmly, which surprised them all. Even Pete, who raised a brow.

“Whatever you think you're going to do, believe me when I tell you it will not end up like you're hoping.” Harry explained easily, letting his hands fall back to his sides. Cisco took the opportunity to reach into his pocket and pull out his cell phone, pressing the panic button that would go to Barry's phone and the labs, as well as Caitlin's and Joe's phones.

“Wow...” Pete said, grinning a little, “I mean, seriously, dude. She's got you all sorts of convinced, doesn't she?” He took a step to the side, motioning the gun at them, “What'd she say to make you so protective of her, huh? She ain't who you think she is.” 

Maggie felt her throat clench, felt her heart race. She felt Cisco's hand on her arm, pulling her closer. “Pete, don't... please, don't...” she choked out, tears welling up in her eyes as panic set in. She saw Harry glance over his shoulder at her, but then he just turned his eyes back to Pete.

“Little Miss Maggie King is a killer. She tell you that?” Pete aimed the gun a little more readily at Harry. “And I ain't just talkin bout what happened to her pedo foster dad.”

“Pete!” She cried out, moving forward and grabbing Harry's jacket with a sob. She could only imagine what Harry's face looked like, or Cisco's. She couldn't bring herself to see. 

“That's right... she killed an innocent old lady. Zapped her car, flipped it like a pancake. Damn thing went flying off a bridge. That granny didn't stand a chance!” He laughed, and the sound was like nails on a chalkboard to her. Harry's whole body stiffened. “There it is.” Pete said calmly then. And he lowered his gun. “Here's what's gonna happen, Mag. When these gay dads of yours decide you're not worth the trouble, you come find me. And bring me my money. Every last cent. I'll give you a week. And if you don't?” He tilted his head, lifting the gun one more time, “Well, I'll do worse than this.”

The sound of the gunshot was a terrible, horrendous rumble in her ears. The feel of Harry's body moving back into her was frightening. She and Cisco both grabbed onto him as he growled out, clinging to his left shoulder with the opposite hand. And just like he'd appeared, Pete was simply gone. And Barry was suddenly there. “Harry!” he blurted out, “What the hell happened?!” He demanded, looking confused as Harry sunk to his knees in pain. Cisco had moved in front of him, shoving Harry's hand out of the way to look at the wound. 

“We have to get the bullet out or he won't be able to heal it!” Cisco exclaimed, worry lacing his tone. Barry began to make his hand vibrate, not missing a step, and entered Harry's shoulder, coming out with a blood tinged bullet, which was only possible because Harry had learned through trial and error how to dampen his own abilities. The result was Harry gritting his teeth, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he swayed on his knees, Cisco steadying him. Maggie stood there, tears streaming, hands loosely grasping air as the panic just rolled through her. It was Harry's eyes that stilled her as he looked up, a fast and strange tiredness pasted to his features. 

“Go inside.” He said, his voice a calm hardness that broke every inch of her heart. “Now.” He left no room for argument, no time to explain. All she could do was turn on her heel and run for the double doors they'd initially exited. And she kept running, till she got to the Cortex, till she ran nearly headfirst into Caitlin. The startled woman held onto her, and just held her as she shook and sobbed. 

A moment later, the three men appeared. Harry was walking fine, now. As though he hadn't just had a hole punched through his shoulder. Which, consequently, was now just pale pink, blood tinged scar tissue. He looked tired, but angry, so angry as he whipped his jacket off and nearly threw it across the room. Cisco cringed at his side. “Move away from her, Snow.” He ordered. And Caitlin hesitated. She let Maggie go, but didn't step aside. Harry moved right up into them, hovering, seething. “You are going to tell us everything, right now. Every goddamn thing you've kept from us. Or I swear...” He clenched his jaw, not finishing the sentence. Maggie swallowed, fresh tears rolling as she hugged herself. But she nodded.

“Okay.” She whispered, refusing to tear her eyes away from his. Even with his contacts on, she could see a faint glow in the brilliant blue hues. She wanted to hold on to that glow, to remember when those eyes looked on her kindly, because she had a feeling that they never would again...

* * *

The Cortex was quiet.

It was nearly one in the morning, some four hours since Pete had shown up. Maggie was laying on the gurney in the medlab with her back to the doorway. Caitlin and Barry had both gone home. Cisco was slumped over the desk, snoring softly. Joe had come and gone, promising to use his resources to track down Pete. But now that they knew the whole truth about the young man, catching him would probably be a bit hard.

It turned out that Pete was a meta, too. He could transport himself, place to place. And it was all he could really do, which didn't seem like anything too terribly fancy considering that apparently just using his powers made the kid tired. 

As for what Pete had been talking about, Joe managed to rustle up a case file of an 'accident' on the Epperson Bridge. A seventy three year old woman drove her car right off it, dying on impact. Though the accident investigation team couldn't figure out what had caused the electrical burns on her body, or her vehicle. 

According to Maggie, it really had all been an accident. Pete had gotten her drunk. Really drunk, to the point where her judgment was nil and she could barely walk a straight line. They were waiting on the dark side of the bridge for one of Pete's suppliers when everything went south. She couldn't remember all the details, but there was shooting. A lot of it. And she lashed out, trying to defend herself and Pete, only to have her powers go wild and slam into a passing vehicle. She'd sobered pretty quick after that, and wanted to try to help the woman whose car was steadily sinking. But Pete grabbed her and blinked her off the bridge, laughing like it was all some sort of game and happy to know what she was capable of. They never called the cops. They never went back to the bridge. And Maggie heard on the news that the woman had been found nearly twelve hours after her car hit the water.

Pete held her death over Maggie's head, promising that if she ever crossed him, he would tell the world what she'd done and what she was. The fear of that had silenced her into accepting her place as one of Pete's lackies. Until he was arrested for stabbing a store clerk. The cops talked her into testifying against him. And for some reason, he never revealed what she had done. She'd been sure he would. But she had been so miserable, she hadn't cared what would happen to her anymore. While Pete was incarcerated, she'd stolen his drug money. She'd known where he hid it. And she used it for simple survival. Food, clothes, stuff to just get her through the day. There was nothing left.

After she killed her foster father, and came here, she'd chosen to never mention any of it, afraid it would be just another reason for them not to help her. But that was then. Now?

Now, she was family.

And even though at first Harry had been livid that they'd been lied to, that he'd had to get shot, now he was just worried for her. The poor kid had been through so much hell in such a short life. Everything in him wanted to shield her from any more that might come her way, to give her the sort of future she would have been denied otherwise. He wasn't about to give up on her. Yeah, terrible stuff had happened. Shit, he'd done his fair share of awful things. But that didn't mean either of them could come back from it. He had. So could she. With a little help. 

Which was why he was reviewing the documents before him for the hundredth time. 

He was standing in front of a table, a file opened in front of him, one hand rubbing his shoulder idly. The wound was now just another scar to get used to. There was a subtle ache that would probably be there for awhile, but he could deal with that. He'd changed his shirt, putting on a S.T.A.R. Labs t-shirt. And though he was just as tired as everyone else, probably more so from having to heal, he couldn't sleep. There was far too much on his mind. He did take his contacts out, however. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to wearing them for long periods of time. It was why he hardly ever wore them at home, or in the lab. He only put them in when it was really necessary. And in the quiet stretch around him, with no strangers around to see, it definitely wasn't. 

“Does it still hurt?” He heard Maggie say from behind him. He closed the file, dropping his other hand and picking it up off the table as he turned to look at her. Her hair was a tangled mess, soft bags beneath her hazel eyes as she stared at his glowing hues. “Your shoulder?” She motioned. And he shrugged, facing her. 

“I've had worse.” He said truthfully. When she just blinked at him, he sighed. “I'm fine, Maggie.” But it didn't seem to really register to her as she lowered her gaze. He knew that look well by now. Shame. It looked the same on her face as it did on his own. She'd already apologized a hundred times over at this point, petrified that she'd go to jail or they'd kick her out. Or that they'd hate her. Give up on her. Do to her what all those before them had done. He stepped forward, curling a finger beneath her chin and forcing her to look back up. “Sit down. I want to show you something.” He said, letting his hand fall and motioning to the table behind him. She swallowed, looking slightly unsure, but moved past him and sat quietly on one of the stools. He sat beside her, holding the folder in one hand.

“Why aren't you angry anymore?” She asked, sort of blind siding him before he had a chance to show her what was in his hands. He raised a brow at her.

“Why should I be?” He asked, “What's done is done. Time to move on.” She furrowed her brows at his answer, glancing at his shoulder as though she could still see the blood pouring out of the now non-existent wound. He snapped his fingers once to get her attention back to his face. “This?” He motioned to his shoulder, “Not your fault. Neither was what happened to that woman. And Pete's not your fault, either.”

“How can you say that?” She asked, half in a whisper. “If I'd never gotten in with Pete, then none of this ever would have happened.” She motioned at him, “You never would have gotten hurt.”

“I got hurt because Pete's an asshole.” He said flatly. And for a moment, her face softened. But she looked down again. “I've told you before, Maggie. We all make mistakes. We all have things in our past that we have to make up for, things that haunt us.” She raised her eyes back to him. “The only way anyone could blame you for any of this is if you weren't trying to make up for them. But you are.” He searched her gaze, “You are so much better than what you've come from. And you're beginning to see that for yourself. Every day, you make yourself better and better. And I don't just mean intellectually.” He shifted on the stool slightly, “You're a part of this family, now. And that's not because we're obligated, either. It's because of who you are...” he cleared his throat a little, “Who you are to all of us.” He held the folder out to her, then. And she glanced at it, looking unsure as she tentatively reached for it.

“What is it?” She asked quietly, hesitating as she opened it. 

“We thought we'd wait till your birthday. But after tonight, I think perhaps now is an appropriate time.” He answered, crossing his arms over his chest and watching quietly then as she scanned over the papers inside. He watched a change come over her face. First a stunned blankness, then a slow quiver of her lips, a flowing of tears from her eyes, and then a sob as she stood up and practically threw herself at him. He barely had time to catch her in a hug, using his legs to keep them from falling over as she cried into him, her arms clinging to him like Velcro. And boy, did she cry. Her whole body shook with it. She was still crying when she peeled herself away to attach herself to Cisco, who had apparently woken up and come over to them.

Harry stood, jaw clenching as his own eyes stung a little. Cisco gave him a knowing look, not bothering to keep the wetness out of his own chocolate hues. “Surprise.” Ramon said to Maggie as she pulled back, letting out a small laugh through her tears. She wiped at her face with one of her sleeves, the folder shaking in her other hand. 

“I don't know what to say.” She managed, her voice soft and trembling. Cisco moved to stand next to Harry, who slipped an arm around him easily. “H-how?” She shook her head a little, opening the file again. 

“Joe helped us get it to a judge. He signed off on the adoption, made it official.” Cisco answered. “So if you don't mind having two kickass Dads, all you have to do is sign on the dotted line.” He grinned, and she laughed again, setting the folder down and moving into them both for an almost awkward group hug. 

“I don't deserve this... or you.” She mumbled between them, stepping back and wiping her face again. Harry let out a sigh, stepping forward and holding her face in his hands.

“You are so very wrong about that.” He said then, the first crack of emotion in his voice. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, and a small sob escaped her mouth. When he stepped back, Cisco was again at his side, only this time holding out a pen for her to take.

An hour and a half later, the papers were signed and she was passed out on the gurney, hugging the folder to her chest like a security blanket. Harry was leaning against the door frame of the darkened medlab, watching her. And Cisco was watching him. “Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?” Ramon asked, moving to stand in front of him, making Harry meet his gaze. 

“It bears repeating... continuously.” Harry responded, making Cisco roll his eyes. Then Ramon reached up with both hands, grabbing onto Harry's head warmly and pulling him down.

“You're hopeless.” He muttered, just before their lips met. In the quiet of the Cortex, Harry pulled him closer, happy to melt into Ramon's mouth, lips parting, tongues softly caressing in unison. There were times when Harry wondered why they hadn't really fallen out of the 'honeymoon' stage of their relationship, moments when he wondered how they could be so ridiculously at ease with each other and yet still feel as though they were only on the third date. But this wasn't one of those moments. This was a moment where it all made sense, where their combined happiness was a living thing with a will all its own, and he could feel the energy of it all around them as the kiss broke and he pressed his forehead to Ramon's. 

“Thank you, Ramon.” He whispered, feeling Cisco's hands glide down his chest to rest on his hips.

“For what?” His husband whispered back, content to just stand there with him.

“For not letting me back out of this.” He lifted his head, “For forcing me to see how much she needs us. How much... we need her.” Cisco smiled at that, leaning his hips completely against his. 

“I told you before, I'm a genius. You just need to listen to me more often.”

Harry smirked at that. It was a hard point to argue. So he wasn't even going to try. Instead, he kissed Cisco again. And he just let himself be happy. He ignored the tiredness, and watched over Maggie. When he settled on the floor against the wall, he let Cisco fall asleep half in his lap. He relished the quiet, peaceful air that surrounded all three of them.

Because tomorrow, they'd be on the hunt for Peter Walters. Tomorrow, they'd all be in the thick of danger. And tomorrow, they wouldn't have time for peace like this. Because that was just the sort of life they led. Danger took up seventy percent of their time. And strangely enough, he was alright with that. Because if it hadn't been this way from the start, he never would have gotten Jesse back, he never would have had Cisco, he never would have met Maggie. Harry would take all the danger having those three in his life could offer. Because they were what made it all worth it. Every injury, every frustration, every heartache, every wound, every scar. He'd gladly take it all on, just for moments like this that lingered on into the quiet darkness, assuring that though tomorrow promised to be difficult, there would never be a moment in it that they would ever be alone...

**Author's Note:**

> (To be continued...)


End file.
